Opinion

Stupid Rich New Yorkers Want their Taxes Raised

I thought it was a joke. But it’s not. Actually, it is a joke, but it’s not funny:

“Some of the wealthiest New Yorkers are asking the state to raise their taxes.

“Eighty people including George Soros, Steven Rockefeller and Abigail Disney wrote to lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo saying they and other top earners should pay more to support schools, roads, bridges and programs to help poor and homeless residents of the state.

“‘Now is the time to invest in the long-term economic viability of New York,’ the letter reads. ‘We need to invest in pathways out of poverty and up the economic ladder for all of our fellow citizens, including strong public education from pre-K to college. And, we need to invest in the fragile bridges, tunnels, waterlines, public buildings, and roads that we all depend on.’” (Drudge Today)

Like giving more money to the government of New York will fix things. Yes, raise taxes on the rich so more of them will leave to states where the tax burden is not as great. Many of New York’s fiscal problems could be solved by lowering taxes.

Why do you think these idiots want the government to take more money from them? First, they feel guilty. They believe their wealth is a moral burden and they need to seek penance for being rich. My friend, the late David Chilton, wrote the book on the subject: Rich Christians in an Age of Guilt-Manipulators. These people are most likely not Christians, but guilt manipulation knows no religious boundaries. People try to assuage both real and perceived guilt in various ways. The secular super rich believe they can buy it off.

Second, they are afraid of the masses. They know that 50 percent of the voting public is in a confiscatory mood. These rich people fear being singled out and attacked. Some of them are building “luxury doomsday bunkers” to protect themselves from possible mob violence if there’s an earthquake, civil war, or a breakdown in society that will unleash hordes of unprepared and envious people. If the culture breaks down, and there’s civil unrest, these folks believe they will be spared because they were willing to be forced into paying more in taxes. They want the world to know that they are willing to pay their “fair share” and a whole lot more. News of their “generosity,” even though they will still be super rich, will have reached the masses and they will be spared.

Third, by being taxed more, they can assuage their guilt and have someone else take care of the masses. They won’t have to be personally involved in mixing with “the people.” They’ll still have enough money to live high on the hog, escape to their weekend retreats, jet-set around the world, attend lavish parties, and in case the excrement hits the fan, they can retreat to their hideaways and private islands to escape whatever form of Armageddon comes their way. It’s a form of cultural insurance.

These people are serious. A number of them are getting laser surgery so they won’t be dependent on glasses. Where do you purchase eyeglasses during a cultural apocalypse or any kind of societal breakdown? This reminds me of the Twilight Zone episode “Time Enough at Last” (1959) starring Burgess Meredith. Henry Bemis loves to read but he can’t find the time or the place until “he emerges to find the world destroyed in a nuclear holocaust. He does find books from the library and he sees a great deal of reading time ahead of him. Except for one small unintended event.”

“In Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), Albert Brooks recounts the episode to Dan Aykroyd as they drive along an empty stretch of highway. ‘This thing freaked me out when I was 7 years old,’ says Brooks’ character, adding: ‘I bought another pair of glasses just in case that would happen.’”

I commend the super-rich for thinking about the future and preparing for what might take place. Bravo. But to call on the government of New York to tax them more is rank-and-file stupidity. It’s already one of the highest taxing states.

These rich fools would do better to invest their money in businesses, setting up training centers, teaching young people how to prepare for an always-changing job market, offer scholarships. Don’t give your money to the sinkhole of government. It will be lost to the bureaucracy and administration costs and only empower an already corrupt government that always seems to be under investigation for some crooked deal.

There are better ways to help the poor and needy, and one of those ways is to reduce the tax burden on everyone and shrink the power of governments and not feed the bloated beast.

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